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In Colossians 3.11, Scripture reads:
Christ is all that matters, and Christ lives in all of us. (NLV, Inclusive)
Read prayerfully the following hymn, or sing it prayerfully:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
Words attributed to Dallan Forgaill: ancient Irish hymn; trans. Mary Byrne, 1905, versified by Eleanor Hull, 1912; Music: Slane (Irish); Meter: 10 10 10 10.
The Christian life is nothing other than a falling in love with Christ. One may be a theologian about Christ. One may affirm a creedal statement about Christ. One may be a member of a Christian church. One may be pastor or priest of a Christian church. However, to live the Christian life, one must be led by love from the head to the heart. One must surrender even one’s thoughts to love Christ, ardently, passionately. The Christian life, lived rightly, will ultimately lead one to be able to say, “O Christ, Be Thou My Vision.” Why? For the Spirit of Christ leads the Christian to say, “Christ is all in all; Christ is in us all.”
Therefore, friend, do not weary me with all your “Christian” thoughts; rather, share with me your ardent, consuming love for Christ. For Christ is all in all; Christ is not your opinions about Christ, nor my opinions about Christ.
Descend into the heart! Descend into the heart! Or, cease claiming you follow Christ, for the Path of Christ is a heart captivated by the Love shining in the face of Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to descend into the heart? How do you nurture a passion for Christ?
Invitation of Christ
Many claim to follow me, but their hearts are far from me. They speak of my love, but they do not allow me to consume what is in their heart that keeps their heart separate from me. They sing of me, but they do not love me. They argue about ideas religious, but they do not love me. They claim they stand for the moral truth, but they do not love me. Those who sing of me are not those who enjoy Heaven, now. Those who hold ideas about me are not those who enjoy Heaven, now. Those who claim to stand for the moral truth are not those who enjoy Heaven, now. Without my Love, there is no Heaven, now. In me, you are in Love. In Love, you enjoy Heaven, now. I am your Heaven. Come to me. Come to me. Come to me, and fall in Love! Fall into Paradise!
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